Venetian blind valance



F. E. STINSON VENETIAN BLIND VALANCE Filed June 3, 1937 Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENETIAN BLINI) VALANCE Application June 3. 1937, Serial No. 146312 The invention relates to Venetian blinds and more particularly to Venetian blind valances for store or show windows and the like. and to the mounting bracket construction therefor.

Most store and show windows are provided with valances across the top thereof; and with the increasing use of Venetian blinds, there has arisen a demand for valances constructed to have the appearance and function of a Venetian blind. such Venetian blind valances are not required to be adapted for raising, lowering or tilting the individual vanes.

A window valance is necessarily mounted quite close to the window glass, extending downward the desired distancefrom the top member of the window frame. Heretofore, Venetian blind valances have been installed by mounting the vanes on the long legs of L-shaped brackets, the short legs of which are Secured to the top member of the window frame closely adjacent to the window glass. However, with such a Construction, it is almost impossible to wash or clean the inner surface of the window glass in front of the valance. Moreover, it is Impossible to remove the valance for any desired purpose without removing the preferably permanent, usually screw, connection between thebrackets and the top member of the window frame; and such bracket removal is of course not to be desired.

It is thereforean object of the present invention to provide a Venetian blind valance construction which will enable the same to be mounted immediately adjacent to a. window glass and yet allow the immediately adjacent glass to be readily washed or cleaned.

Likewise, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Venetian blind valance construction in which the vane members may be readily, easily and quickly tilted, as a unit, to a position angular with respect to normal or usual position.

Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Venetian blind valance construction in which the vane members may be readily, easily and quickly removed, as a unit for any desired purpose, without requiring the permanent connection of the bracket construction thereof to be dismounted from the top member of the window frame.

Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tiltable and removable Venetian blind valance construction with means for normally maintaining the same in a desired relation with respect to the window glass which the valance dresses. c

3 Claims. (CI. 156-17) And finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Venetian blind valance construction which accomplishes the stated desiderata and overcomes the prior art disadvantages in an inexpensive and convenient manner.

5 These and other objects may be obtained by the parts, elements. construction's and combinations. comprising the 'present invention hereinafter claimed, a preferred embodiment of whichis shown in the accompanying drawing and is hereinafter described in detail, and which may be stated in general terms as including, in Venetian blind valance construction, a plurality of L-shaped brackets adapted for having one leg of each secured to a top member of a window frame, an aperture in a portion of the other leg of each bracket, a pivot pin traversing each aperture, a series of angularly located longitudinally extending Venetian blind vanes secured in spaced relation to a plurality of upright members forming a Venetian blind valance unit, said upright members having hooks at their upper ends removably insertable through said bracket apertures for hanging from said bracket pins, and the lower ends of said apertured bracket legs holding said valance unit in a desired relation with respect to the window glass mounted in said frame.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a front view 'of a store window equipped with the improved Venetian blind valance construction; e

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the valance tilted for window washing, in full lines; and showing in dot-dash lines how the valance unit may be removed; and e Fig. 4 is a, view looking in the direction of the arrows 4-4, Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawing.

The improved Venetian blind valance construction is indicated generally at 5 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, wherein the top member of a window frame is indicated at 6, and the window glass being dressed by the Venetian blind valance is indicated at T.

A Venetian blind valance unit includes two or more upright preferably sheet or strip metal members B, and the upper end of each member B is notched at 9 to provide a reduced extremity n, formed to a hook shape H, open at l2. The valance unit is completed by welding or otherwise securing annular flanges !3 of preferably sheet or strip metal vanes I4, which may be beaded at IS. to the upright members 8, as best shown in Fig. 2. The vanes Il, as shown, are preferably secured to the upright members 8 at uniformly spaced intervals and preferably extend angularly downwardly from the upright members 8, so as to be located in longitudinal positions adjacent the upper region of the window glass 1 (Fig. 1).

L-shaped brackets generally indicated at !shave 'their upper leg members I'l preferably permanently secured by any suitable means indicated at !8 to the top member G of the window frame (Fig. 2); so as to locate their other leg members s closely adjacent to the window glass 1. The leg member I 9 of each bracket IS is provided with an aperture 20, and longitudinal portions of the leg members s are preferably formed half round, as indicated at 2l, for receiving a pivot pin 22, which traverses each aperture 20. The pivot pins 22 may be secured by any suitable means, as by welding, to the half round portions ZI.

The Venetian blind valance unit is mounted on the brackets IG by inserting the hook portions l I of the upright members 8 through the apertures 20 so that the hook members hang from the pivot pins 22; and the lower ends lsa of the bracket legs IS extend downwardly a suflicient distance to securely hold the upright members 8 in any desired and preferably vertical position.

This is accomplished because, viewing Fig. 2, the valance unit hanging from the pivot pins 22 tends to rotate in a clockwise direction, due to the weight of the vanes M which are offset to one side of a vertical plane passing through the pivot pins 22. Thus, the location of the upright members 8 may be varied, within limits, by suitably locating the portions lsa of the brackets IS.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the width of each bracket IS is preferably uniform with the width of the upright members 8 so that the members 8 and bracket legs |9 appear continuous from the outside of a window (Flg. 1) and simulate, in a measure. the tapes of an ordinary Venetian blind.

Referring to the full line position of the parts shown in Fig. 3, the valance unit may be readily and easily tilted to permit the window glass 'I to be washed with a tool 23. The open portlons |2 of the hook members ll permit the hook members to be disengaged from the brackets I 6 for ready removal of the valance units for any desired purpose, as shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 3.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a aaeso tutable and dismountable Venetian blind valance construction in an inexpensive manner, overcoming the dimculties of prior Venetian blind valance constructions.

The embodiment of the improved Venetian blind valance construction illustrated and described herein is by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the same, or to the particular details thereof, but is commensurate with any and all novel subject matter contained herein, and which may at any time properly under the patent laws be set forth in elaims hereof or which may originate herein, the elements ot any ot the claims being intended to include their reasonable equivalents.

I claim:-

1. Venetian blind valance construction including a valance unit including upright members and spaced longitudinal vanes secured thereto, a piurality of mounting brackets adapted for being permanently secured to a window fram'e closely adjacent to a window glass, means tiltably and removably mounting said upright members on said brackets, and means on said brackets limiting movement of said unit toward the window glass.

2. Venetian blind valance construction including a valance unit including upright sheet metal members and spaced longitudinal sheet metal vanes secured thereto, a plurality or mounting brackets adapted for being permanently secured to a window frame closely adjacent to a window glass, parts on said uprlght members removably interengaging parts on said brackets tiltably mounting said unit on said brackets, said brackets also including parts engaging the upright members for holding the unit in predetermined relation to the window glass.

3. Venetian blind valance construction including mounting brackets adapted for being secured to a window frame closely adjacent to a window glass, each having a. downwardly extending leg provided with an aperture, a pivot pin traversing each aperture, a valance unit including upright members and longitudinal vanes secured to the upright members, and each upright member having a hook at its upper end insertable through a bracket aperture for hanging on a pivot pin, whereby said unit may be tilted away from a window glass dressed by said valance.

FLOYD E. S'I'INSON. 

